Oasis Kick Off U.S. Tour

The first stop of Oasis' North American tour was unusually calm: no onstage sibling scuffles, no crazed fans, just a few clouds of pot smoke and a slightly less-than-ecstatic crowd -- save for the requisite 12-year-old boys who weren't even born when "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" was released.

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals opened the show at Oakland's 19,500-seat Oracle Arena with 40-minute set that included an up-tempo "Everybody Knows" and an especially rousing rendition of "Let It Ride." And no, he didn't play "Wonderwall," though not for lack of time -- Adams left fans scratching their heads when he abruptly ended the set with a curt "We're the Cardinals" and walked offstage.

At 9 p.m. promptly, Liam Gallagher walked onstage, tambourine in mouth, sporting an almost comical version of his classic Britpop mop top a la Paul Weller. Backed by four big screens that projected artwork from the band's latest album, Dig Out Your Soul, Oasis opened with 1994's "Rock N' Roll Star" -- not a highlight, but a powerful start to the show.

For the most part, Oasis played a peppered mix of old and new material, the latter of which held up well against the Oasis of yore -- tunes like "Waiting for the Rapture," which recalled the Doors' "Five to One." "I'm Outta Time," another strong new song, was spot-on as Liam crooned, "Here is a song / It reminds me of when we were young."

Other highlights from the nearly two-hour show included superhit "Wonderwall." But what really stuck out -- and what makes Oasis such a talented and versatile band -- were B-sides like Noel's "The Master Plan." "They could do B-sides for an entire show," said one fan who had seen Oasis at the Oakland Coliseum 11 years before. A particularly hard-hitting version of "The Importance of Being Idle" was another welcome contribution from the quieter Gallagher brother.

The band's four-song encore of sing-along favorites included "Don't Look Back in Anger" and "Champagne Supernova," as well as Noel's latest songwriting contribution, "Falling Down," a standout off Dig Out Your Soul.

Then Liam approached the mike: "I am the fucking walrus," he shouted before the band launched into the psychedelic Beatles epic. Despite flubbing a lyric or two, Liam held his own on the Lennon classic and the band did their predecessors justice, setting the crowd ablaze.